Malacca shooting: Saravanan, Bar Council want independent probe
Published: Dec 4, 2025 7:40 PM
Updated: 10:40 PM
Tapah MP M Saravanan has urged Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to set up an independent commission over the fatal shooting of three men in Malacca last week.
He said only a non-police body can ensure a transparent and impartial investigation, and that the leaked audio recording, allegedly contradicting police claims of self-defence, raises serious questions.
“Such evidence, together with all other material facts, must be carefully evaluated to uncover the truth regarding what actually took place that night.
“This is not about placing blame on the police force as a whole. It is about preserving the integrity of our institutions, upholding the rule of law, and ensuring justice for the families involved,” he said in a statement today.
Saravanan added that public confidence in law enforcement hinges on investigations being free from conflicts of interest and that while Bukit Aman took over the case, he warned against “delays or half justice”.
He called for the officers involved, as well as anyone suspected of manipulating the narrative, to be suspended immediately, warning that “no wrongdoing should ever be shielded behind a uniform”.
Lawyers showing photographs of the deceased
“Every officer directly involved in the incident, and anyone suspected of fabricating or perpetuating a false narrative to obscure the truth, must be suspended with immediate effect.
“No community should ever feel unprotected. No family should ever feel unheard. And no wrongdoing should ever be shielded behind a uniform or a position of authority,” he added.
Bar Council backs call
The Bar Council also issued a statement today, expressing deep concern over the conflicting accounts surrounding the shooting.
Its president, Ezri Abdul Wahab, said authorities must act with urgency to preserve all evidence and ensure an independent inquest is convened without delay.
“When lives are lost at the hands of the state, the law requires nothing less than absolute transparency. Any incident involving the use of lethal force must be examined without delay and without influence.
“Every officer directly involved in the incident, and anyone suspected of fabricating or perpetuating a false narrative to obscure the truth, must be suspended with immediate effect.
“No community should ever feel unprotected. No family should ever feel unheard. And no wrongdoing should ever be shielded behind a uniform or a position of authority,” he added.
Bar Council backs call
The Bar Council also issued a statement today, expressing deep concern over the conflicting accounts surrounding the shooting.
Its president, Ezri Abdul Wahab, said authorities must act with urgency to preserve all evidence and ensure an independent inquest is convened without delay.
“When lives are lost at the hands of the state, the law requires nothing less than absolute transparency. Any incident involving the use of lethal force must be examined without delay and without influence.
Ezri Abdul Wahab
“All evidence must be preserved, including any bodycam or dashcam recordings, firearm discharge reports, communication logs, and forensic material.
“The loss, withholding, or destruction of such evidence would be indefensible and would severely undermine public confidence in law enforcement,” he said in a statement today.
Ezri also called for police officers involved in the incident to be placed on administrative leave pending investigation, emphasising that this is standard practice internationally and does not imply guilt.
He urged authorities to adhere to global policing standards, including the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms, which require lethal force to be a last resort subject to independent review.
Conflicting accounts
According to media reports, police shot dead three men, allegedly linked to armed robberies, in an oil palm plantation in Durian Tunggal, Malacca, on Nov 23.
Malacca police chief Dzulkhairi Mukhtar said officers opened fire after the suspects attacked a police officer with machetes, leaving him seriously injured.
However, families of the deceased disputed the police’s narrative, pointing to an audio clip in which the men appeared to be cooperating with officers during their arrest.
Their legal counsel, Rajesh Nagarajan, also argued that the officers involved should face murder charges.
The case drew further attention after the federal police’s criminal investigation department (CID) director M Kumar, visited the injured officer in hospital on Nov 25.
Kumar also announced that Bukit Aman would take over the investigation and pledged a transparent, fair and professional probe.
“All evidence must be preserved, including any bodycam or dashcam recordings, firearm discharge reports, communication logs, and forensic material.
“The loss, withholding, or destruction of such evidence would be indefensible and would severely undermine public confidence in law enforcement,” he said in a statement today.
Ezri also called for police officers involved in the incident to be placed on administrative leave pending investigation, emphasising that this is standard practice internationally and does not imply guilt.
He urged authorities to adhere to global policing standards, including the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms, which require lethal force to be a last resort subject to independent review.
Conflicting accounts
According to media reports, police shot dead three men, allegedly linked to armed robberies, in an oil palm plantation in Durian Tunggal, Malacca, on Nov 23.
Malacca police chief Dzulkhairi Mukhtar said officers opened fire after the suspects attacked a police officer with machetes, leaving him seriously injured.
However, families of the deceased disputed the police’s narrative, pointing to an audio clip in which the men appeared to be cooperating with officers during their arrest.
Their legal counsel, Rajesh Nagarajan, also argued that the officers involved should face murder charges.
The case drew further attention after the federal police’s criminal investigation department (CID) director M Kumar, visited the injured officer in hospital on Nov 25.
Kumar also announced that Bukit Aman would take over the investigation and pledged a transparent, fair and professional probe.
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